What happened with Ty Gibbs at Las Vegas that turned the NASCAR playoffs on its head?

NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 - Source: Getty
In Picture: Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin's car - Source: Getty

In Lap 241 of the South Point 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ty Gibbs suffered a wreck, collected multiple drivers, and turned the NASCAR playoffs on its head. As a result of the wreck, Hamlin found himself in a position for the win and went on to take the victory on Sunday.

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With over 20 laps to go, Ty Gibbs and others were getting ready for a restart, but fate had other ideas. At the time of the restart, the JGR driver got wrecked by his teammate, Christopher Bell, from behind and spun.

In doing so, he collected multiple other cars and forced a caution. According to reports, a total of 11 cars were involved in the incident, forcing the race towards another late restart.

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With 14 laps to go, Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson were on the front row, and Hamlin was behind them. Once the restart commenced, Hamlin powered past Larson and hunted down Briscoe with ease.

In the end, the #11 driver claimed the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race win and qualified for the Championship 4 in Phoenix. With this, he secured the chance to fight for the championship for the first time since 2021.

Ty Gibbs, on the other hand, had a DNF and finished his race in 34th place. Larson came home in runners-up position, while Bell, Briscoe, and Tyler Reddick completed the Top 5.

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Denny Hamlin let his feelings known after winning at Las Vegas, thanks to Ty Gibbs' wreck

Denny Hamlin shared his thoughts after he claimed the victory in Las Vegas. Speaking about the race where he benefited from Ty Gibbs' wreck, here's what the JGR driver said:

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (11) arrives in victory lane following his victory of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn Images
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin (11) arrives in victory lane following his victory of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn Images
"Definitely means a lot. This is the point where I usually give the fans some (grief) but not today. I appreciate all of you so much. Obviously want to say hi to my dad, family back at home, all the friends that came out here hoping we get 60. I didn't think we were."
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"Just put the pedal down those last 10 laps and made it happen. Chris (Gayle) did an amazing job on that final stop getting the car just right. I just held it down. It's all I could do just to go for it. Feels great," he further added. (Via NBC Sports)

In Lap 241, Denny Hamlin was in 10th place, and from there, winning the race looked tough but not impossible. However, Gibbs' wreck turned things upside down and helped Hamlin claim the 60th win in the NASCAR Cup Series and match Kevin Harvick.

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Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas
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